There is a need for a low cost device to alert building owners and occupants of water leaks and high levels of humidity behind building panels such as behind walls, under floors and above soffits. When these water leaks are not detected quickly, resultant destruction to building components can cost many times the amount of money repairing these leaks would cost if detected early. As a common example, a leak in a roof can, over time, cause rot in the roof deck, rafters, joists, framing, ceilings and soffits. Plumbing leaks also commonly cause similar expensive-to-repair damage to walls, ceilings, studs and flooring.
Water leaks also cause premature corrosion of electrical and other metal components. Additionally, water leaks are the major cause of mold in buildings. Mold has been identified as a major cause of illness, and mold-related costs are estimated in the billions of dollars per year.
These problems are exacerbated by the premature failure of polybutylene piping and connectors, which has resulted in over a billion dollars paid out already through class action law suits in the U.S. It is estimated that six to ten million homes still are plumbed with polybutylene piping and connectors.
No low-cost, easy-to-manufacture humidity indicator device suitable for buildings has been produced or patented. The existing humidity detector devices that use chemicals that change color when predetermined humidity levels are reached were created for industrial shipping containers and sealed cases. By comparison, the present invention is a low-cost, easy-to-manufacture humidity indicator device suitable for residential and commercial buildings
U.S. Pat. No. 2,716,338 to Blinn (1955) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,180 to Stewart and Blinn (1988) are similar and are representative of current chemical humidity indicator devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,716,338, FIG. 1 illustrates closed package 10 with hermetically sealed lid 10a. Device 12 is attached through an aperture. FIG. 3 illustrates the main components of the device, which include button 18 with external threads 19. After the device is inserted through aperture 11, lock nut 14 is screwed on to fasten the device to the closed package 10. Transparent cover 35 is attached to button 18 and covers card 25 which has the chemical.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,180 FIG. 1 illustrates similar components. Housing 2 has external threads 11 and is fastened to a sealed container with nut 12. Window 7 covers blotter paper 11 and chemical 18.
The prior art devices have numerous components that are too expensive to manufacture and assemble for widespread use in buildings. The housings of prior art devices are typically metal and require machining of the external threads and other features. The transparent covers or windows require permanent sealing to the housing. By comparison, the present invention has an inexpensive injection-molded one-piece body that does not have threads and does not have a separate window or cover that needs to be permanently fastened and sealed.
The installation of prior art devices into buildings also presents problems. The devices typically are installed using a nut from the inside of the container. This is not possible with buildings because access to the other side of walls, soffits and flooring is often unavailable. Even if the device was installed prior to construction, the nuts prevent future removal. By comparison, the present invention does not require installation of nuts nor does it require access to the inside of the container or wall. The present invention only requires insertion into a drilled hole.
Additionally, removal of the present invention does not require access to the other side of walls, soffits and flooring. The present invention can be easily removed for replacement.
A few prior art devices employ external pipe threads that require internal pipe threads on the container. This cannot work for installation in buildings because typical building materials such as plasterboard and wood are too soft to be threaded. By comparison, the present invention requires no threads in the container or wall and is easily installed in building materials such as plasterboard or wood.
The prior art devices also require a hex head or slots on their housings to tighten the housing or to hold the housing while the nut is tightened. By comparison, the present invention requires no hex head, slots or tools for installation.
In spite of the long felt need for detection of water leaks in buildings, no buildings have inexpensive devices to alert owners and occupants of such leaks behind walls or under roofs. Each year, many millions of dollars will be spent repairing structural damage, mold damage and cosmetic damage to buildings. These damages could have been avoided if a low-cost humidity indicator device was available for installation in buildings. The present invention discloses a novel, easy-to-manufacture device and method that warns people of excessive humidity levels behind panels in buildings.
In spite of active competition among the major corporations that design and manufacture humidity indicator devices, there has been no practical, efficient solution to this problem. The present invention discloses a novel device that solves this problem and satisfies this long felt need.